All hopes for Canadian representation in the U.S. Open singles draws were dashed after Bianca Andreescu and Liam Draxl suffered defeats in the final round of the qualifying tournament on Friday in New York.
In a hard-fought battle, Andreescu was defeated 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Slovenia’s Tamara Zidansek. Despite firing seven aces during the match that lasted two hours and 44 minutes, the 2019 U.S. Open women’s champion from Mississauga, Ont., struggled with net points, only managing to win 10 out of 21.
The match, which began on Thursday, had to be halted due to rain when Andreescu was leading 2-0.
Draxl, hailing from Newmarket, Ont., also faced a tough battle in his qualifying match against Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate, ultimately losing 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7) after the match was rescheduled to Friday.
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Both players managed to secure four breaks each during the match, but Schoolkate’s crucial break against serve in the third set gave him the edge, leading to a 4-3 advantage and erasing Draxl’s early lead.
When main draw action commences on Sunday, Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., and 2021 runner-up Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., will represent Canada in the tournament.
Sabalenka, Pegula Advocate for Increased Prize Money and New Player Council
Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula lauded the U.S. Open’s record-breaking prize money allocation and the establishment of a Grand Slam player advisory council, signaling a positive shift in addressing calls for players to receive a larger share of the tournament revenue.
This year, the U.S. Open announced a historic $108 million US prize purse, while all four Grand Slams revealed plans for a player advisory council following mounting pressure from top players for higher prize money payouts and more involvement in decision-making processes within the sport.
Expressing her support for improved player compensation, world No. 1 Sabalenka commended the recent developments as a step towards fostering better relations between players and tournament organizers.
“We’re thrilled to see progress towards the goals we set initially,” stated the Belarusian during a press briefing on Friday.
